Minnesota turns 165 years old: How did it get its name?
MINNEAPOLIS -- The state of Minnesota turned 165 years old on Thursday.
On May 11, 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state to join the union. As Minnesotans reflect on the state's history, here's the origin behind the state's name.
Minnesota is one of 28 states whose name is derived from Native Americans.
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"The name 'Minnesota' is a Dakota name," Adam Scher, senior curator at the Minnesota Historical Society, told WCCO in 2015. "The state is named after the Minnesota River. 'Mni' is the Dakota word for water."
But "Sota," Scher says, has two different interpretations: Some say it's "sky-tinted," while others call it "cloudy."
Scher says the fact that the clay along the Minnesota River is slightly blue, and could explain the "sky-tinted" definition.
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According to Gwen Westerman, author of "Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota," the direct translation is "land where the water is so clear it reflects the sky." She says that is the version of the Dakota name used in the Treaty of 1851.
There are many cities and places with Native American names across Minnesota, like the Mississippi River and Minnehaha Falls.